Local energy production from biowaste
Biogas in general
2/3
The BIOFerm system creates biogas from organic
waste
30 to 40 per cent of the volume of residential
waste in Germany is organic waste. The
nationwide collection of biowaste offers
enormous potential. This waste can be
converted to energy in biogas plants at
minimal cost.
The largest as yet untapped potential lies
in the field of biowaste and landscape
conservation material. These elements have
so far been to a large extent composted or
sent unsorted to landfill sites instead of being
used to generate energy.
Filling the digester: the patented process yields high grade
Waste is a resource –
as part of the economic cycle
BIOFerm offers a comprehensive range of
dry fermentation services. Clients have a
single point of contact for the entire project
execution. BIOferm provides all services
from a single source, from the initial planning
and consultation through to project
implementation and commissioning. With
sites in Germany and abroad, we can also
realise international projects in the closest
proximity to our customers.
biogas
BIOFerm technology enables the generation
of primary energy from organic waste
material: environmentally friendly,
regenerative and CO2 neutral. Only the most
rudimentary demands are made on the source
material.
The fermentation residue in liquid form is
used directly for agricultural purposes or can
be turned into high grade organic fertiliser or
compost. Composts and digestates supply
basic plant nutrition while at the same time
improving the humus balance of our soil.
The system is suitable for:
„„ Local authorities:
Biowaste, green waste from gardens and
parks and material from landscape
conservation
„„ Restaurants or canteens:
Food waste
„„ Food trade and industry:
expired goods from the retail food trade
and residues from food production
Biogas is regional and can be stored
The fermentation of biowaste and domestic
raw materials has a positive long-term impact
on the handling of fossil fuels. Short transport
distances and independence from expensive
energy imports also have a part to play here.
Top:
The Hitzacker biogas plant with a decentralised
CHP/Vitoplex unit supplies consumers (hospital, retirement
home, etc.) via a near-field heat distribution network.
Bottom:
The first dry fermentation plant in the USA, University of
Wisconsin, Oshkosh – year-round electricity and heating on
the university campus
Biogas is an energy source that can be stored,
enabling it to be used flexibly where and
when it is required. Last but not least, the
construction of biogas plants creates jobs in
rural areas with poor infrastructure.
Technology
4/5
BIOFerm process – modern waste treatment
Dry fermentation for stackable, organic solids
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Schmack Biogas offers the BIOFerm dry
fermentation technology in its portfolio for
non-pumpable feedstock. The demands made
on the source material are extremely low.
The process is ideal for stackable, organic
solids, such as biowaste, green matter and
solid manure containing up to 60 per cent dry
matter content. Common features of industrial
or municipal biowaste include:
„„ high proportion of impurities (plastic,
wood, metal etc.)
„„ high dry matter content
„„ heterogeneous substrate composition
„„ not always separated in advance
„„ seasonal variations in composition
Different feedstock characteristics place
different demands on the plant technology.
The system is tolerant of
Top:
Bio exhaust system on the digesters,
Gas tank COCCUS in background
Bottom:
Hellabrunn Zoo, Munich:
Fermentation of zoo waste to create biogas
impurities, eliminating the need for sorting or
pre-treatment of the biomass.
In dry fermentation plants, the fermentation
process is divided into individual digesters
(garage digesters), where the biomass is
fermented anaerobically. The BIOFerm
system ensures constantly high gas yields
with a methane proportion up to 60 per cent.
The modular structure provides greater
security of supply and therefore a higher
overall process stability.
The integration of BIOFerm in Schmack
Biogas makes it possible to offer a complete
range of dry fermentation services. From
the initial consultation regarding economic
feasibility and overall concept design through
to project implementation and commissioning,
we do everything for you.
High plant security
The technologies and processes used in the
BIOFerm system have been tried and tested
worldwide. All plants are TÜV-approved, can
be extended on a modular basis and meet the
highest requirements in terms of operational
reliability.
6
Mixing hall with compost
boxes and digesters
Exhaust system with
biofilter
Gas dome
Substrate storage
Percolate storage tank
Composting
Technology
Biowaste fermentation technology
Recycling waste – the BIOFerm system
Dry fermentation: ideally suited
The BIOFerm system works on a batch
process, which means that the digesters are
periodically emptied and then refilled. In the
reception hall a wheeled loader mixes the
stackable fresh material with the previously
fermented material (a process also known as
"seeding") and feeds it into the garage-shaped
digesters. After approx. four weeks the
digester is completely emptied and refilled
with a seeded mixture.
for organic and green waste
The majority of the plant and measurement technology is located in the
technical area.
Accelerated fermentation process
Seeding the fresh mass speeds up the
decomposition process, which greatly
accelerates gas production. The fermentation
of the material takes place in a closed system
with no oxygen (anaerobic). During this
process, liquid forms as a so-called
percolate. A sprinkler system feeds the
percolate through the contents of the digester
on a continuous basis. The conversion of the
organic mass to biogas happens partly in the
digesters, and partly in a separate percolate
storage tank.
Technically advanced systems
As the digester heats up, it creates an optimal
temperature for bacteria of approx. 40°C. An
additional heat input comes from sprinkling
the percolate. The retention time per digester
is about 28 days, depending on the input
material properties. The resulting biogas is
collected in a membrane gas tank, which
leads off the percolate tank as a double
membrane roof (COCCUS system). There
the biogas is desulphurised by the addition of
oxygen and then sent to the biogas consumer
for use.
Certain atmospheric conditions must prevail
within the garage fermenter for it to be
opened. To that end, the digester is flushed
with fresh air and the resulting waste air
(known as lean gas) is tested using a so-called
lean gas flare.
All the waste air from the biogas plant (mixing
hall, waste air from the digester) is channelled
through a biofilter system to clean it.
With the exception of the loading and
emptying of the digester using a wheeled loader, the entire plant is automatically controlled
and regulated using a programmable logic
controller (PLC). Any faults are detected at an
early stage by the controller, which records
the problem and reports it to the operator via
phone, fax or SMS.
6/7
Economic benefits from tried and tested technology
Greater returns with robust and reliable components
Dry fermentation technology is
constantly evolving in terms of efficiency,
ease of maintenance and economic viability.
A great many tried and tested components
from the Schmack wet fermentation system
were transferred to the BIOFerm system as
a result.
Technical adaptation
„„ Garage digester roof structure
„„ Optimised drainage system
„„ Percolate tank as round fermenter with
double membrane roof
„„ External gas storage
Optimised roof structure
The digester's roof has no housing, following
the design of the Schmack EUCO high
performance digester. Only the front three
metres of the digester are covered to form a
technical area, which houses the majority of
the plant and measurement technology.
Substrate barrier and digester gate
The gas dome is not our only in-house
development: we have also designed the
substrate barrier and the digester gate. Their
key features are secure operation and high
stability.
Substrate barrier – simple and robust:
– The barrier is locked and unlocked by the
wheeled loader
– Made of wood on a stainless steel frame
– Additional floor support
Gate system – innovative technology:
– Welded stainless steel construction
– Decoupled from concrete structure to make
it an independent component
– Operated from a central locking unit
– Redundant seal system, charged and
monitored with compressed air Comprehensive drainage
The optimised drainage system absorbs the
percolate and draws it away from the digester
in a controlled manner through a header pipe.
The header pipe of each digester is frost proof
and leads to the drainage shaft.
Percolate storage tank with double
membrane roof
The percolate storage tank is designed as a
round COCCUS-type digester with a double
membrane roof (as used for gas storage
tanks). The biogas from the individual
digesters is drawn off to a gas dome, which
has built-in overpressure and underpressure
safety valves, and then fed to the gas tank
via a gas header pipe. The biogas is
desulphurised to the desired H2S value
through the internal wooden roof structure.
Digester gate with substrate barrier
Technology
Flexible substance handling thanks to combined
technology
Integrating different biogas technologies enables the maximum exploitation of all source
materials
In conventional biowaste fermentation, the
source substrate is extremely heterogeneous.
Furthermore, the material input varies
according to the season. The expected gas
yields from biowaste are therefore highly
variable.
Hybrid system: Tried and tested
technology, new process benefits
Since not all biogenic residues are suitable for
dry fermentation, they have to be used in socalled hybrid systems (combined wet and dry
fermentation). The combination of these two
tried and tested technologies means that the
best use can be made of a wide range of
source materials with different levels of
impurity and different dry matter content. The
various input materials are sent to the most
efficient fermentation type in each case.
These are two separate systems with
different feedstock and procedures.
Intersection points for both systems include
gas collection, heating distribution and gas
treatment.
Stausebach biogas plant
The benefits of the hybrid system
„„ Most efficient use of input materials
„„ Balancing out of seasonal variations
compared to dry fermentation alone
„„ Synergies in processing/
electricity generation technology
„„ Joint heat utilisation
The combination of the individual value added
stages (dry and wet fermentation) produces
the most efficient exploitation of
heterogeneous source material.
8/9
Technical and biological service to secure
maximum yields
Our responsibility: maximum availability for your plant
Even after the biogas plant has been built,
BIOFerm customers can rely on a
comprehensive technical and biological
service. With the Schmack service concept,
our customers secure the operational
reliability of their plant and keep their
performance at a permanently high level.
Technical service:
Professional and fast
For us, customer service begins long
before any component wears or needs
replacement – through qualified advice,
preventative maintenance and appropriate
planning by our in-house customer service
team. Our service engineers safeguard the
function of your biogas plant through
predictive spare parts logistics and a highly
efficient customer service team.
Laboratory service
Apart from safe, reliable plant technology,
another factor exerts a decisive influence
on the viability of a biogas plant: a stable
fermentation process. Our biological service
takes care of monitoring and supporting
biogas plants from commissioning onwards.
Complete operational management
As an investor you want to keep the costs of
your biogas plant as low as possible. That's
no problem. Our all-round service offers
complete operational management. We
supervise the biological and technical
maintenance, including remote monitoring.
This includes all the other services that are
required for the operation of the plant, from
staff and raw material management to
maintenance measures.
Reliability
Remote monitoring round-the-clock from our
EUVIS control centre reduces downtimes to
a minimum. The minimisation of downtimes
and the elimination of time-consuming service
calls lead to continuous and reliable
plant operation. The high security standards
during construction and operation protect
people, the environment and, naturally, the
plant itself.
Consulting: We are the feed consultants
for your biogas plant
Scientific experts determine, in our own
laboratory, the quality of the matter to be
used and check the fermentation contents by
means of process-specific parameters. The
results form the basis for individual advice
and feed recommendations to maintain and/or
improve the capacity of your plant.
Accreditation of the laboratory at
Schmack Biogas Service GmbH
We also train our customers on an individual
basis and tailor the training to the specific
plant to enable optimum and economical
operation.
The in-house laboratory of Schmack Biogas
Service GmbH is accredited to DIN EN ISO/
IEC 17025:2005.
Laboratory at Schmack Biogas
Service GmbH
All-round service –
not just for their own plants
Carbotech GmbH gas
BIOFerm
treatment
dry fermentation
Schmack
Biogas
Service GmbH
Schmack Biogas GmbH
Schmack Biogas
wet/dry fermentation
Komponenten GmbH
components for
biogas plants
Biogas plants from third
party manufacturers,
sewage treatment
plants, gas treatments
and much more
References
BIOFerm biogas plants–
Full output in constant use
Their good performance makes our biogas plants stand out year after year.
They operate with great reliability, whatever their size or system design.
Sogliano Ambiente (Italy)
Installed output: 1 MW (electrical)
Throughput p. a.:
40 000 t biowaste and household refuse
Number of digesters: 11
Digester size: 30 x 7 x 5 m
(Length x Width x Height)
Construction started: July 2011
Commissioning: February 2013
Viessmann Biomasse KG (Germany)
Installed output: 190 kW (electrical)
Throughput p. a.:
4 500 t (landscape conservation material)
Number of digesters: 4
Digester size:
20 x 7 x 4.50 m
(Length x Width x Height)
Construction started: September 2009
Commissioning : August 2010
10/11
Fife (Scotland)
Installed output: 1.8 MW (electrical)
Throughput p.a.: 40 000 t biowaste (brown
bins) and 3 000 t food waste
Number of digesters: 14
Digester size: 30 x 7 x 5 m
(Length x Width x Height)
Construction started: February 2012
Commissioning: July 2013
Stausebach (Germany)
Installed output: 4 MWGas
Throughput p.a.: 30 000 t/a biowaste and
15 000 t/a Energy crops (combi-plant)
Number of digesters: 8
Digester size: 35 x 6.75 x 5 m
(Length x Width x Height)
Construction started: May 2013
Commissioning: August 2014
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12/13
Wood combustion technology,
CHP and biogas production
up to 50 MW
Heat pumps for brine,
water and air
up to 2 MW
Accessories
Refrigeration technology
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The company
14/15
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Viessmann is one of the world's leading
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As a third generation family run business,
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A strong brand creates trust
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Efficiency
„„ Expansion of renewables to 60 percent
„„ CO2 emissions reduced by 80 per cent
The long-term goal is for the company to
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Energy Efficiency Award 2010
Viessmann Group
Company details
„„ Established in: 1917
„„ Employees: 11,400
„„ Group turnover: 2.1 billion euros
„„ Export share: 55 percent
„„ 27 production companies in 11 countries
„„ 74 countries with sales companies and
representation
„„ 120 sales offices worldwide
2009/2011/2013:
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Schmack Biogas GmbH
Bayernwerk 8
92421 Schwandorf
Telephone +49 9431 751 0
Fax +49 9431 751 204
www.schmack-biogas.com
Viessmann Werke GmbH & Co. KG
35107 Allendorf (Eder)
Telephone +49 6452 70-0
Fax +49 6452 70-2780
www.viessmann.com
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